A special Saturday post. While I was out getting coffee and donuts this morning, the newspaper had an impressive headline:
EXXON PROFIT $390,600,000
I could be confused on the numbers. I'm not even 100% sure about the newspaper I saw it in. BUT I do know it was $40 billion dollars.
How in the hell do they justify keeping gas prices high with that kind of profit? And why exactly are we still having explosions, pipe leaks, and other problems while they make this sort of money?
And why hasn't Congress investigated this? They investigated steriods in baseball, but not this?
I'm more than a little outraged.
Saturday
Friday
My Take on the Candidates
Sorry 'bout the late, LATE post. We got a cat yesterday, and I forgot to put this up in all the excitement.
Things have solidified quite a bit since the start of the Primary hoopla. We've really narrowed it down to a few solid candidates ahead of Super Tuesday. Here are my picks for both major Parties:
John McCain, an Arizona Congressman from 1982-1986 and a Senator from 1986-present, is a former naval aviator and POW. He's been consistently for the war in Iraq, and staying there, and was one of the 12 Senators who staged a "revolt" over Bush's bill on detainees in 2006, because it did not provide protections against torture. Senate Page
Barack Obama, a 1st term Senator from Illinois who also spent 8 years as a state Senator. He's been a civil rights attorney and a community organizer. His time in the Senate hasn't been glorious, per se, but you do see his name around an awful lot of bipartisan efforts. I'd love to put more in here, but to be honest he hasn't been too much in the public eye until the primary race started up. Senate Page.
And why...
John McCain may be old. And he may be Republican. And he may have spent much of the last 8 years pandering to the far right wing. But on the whole, his efforts on campaign finance reform, the way his campaign in 2000 was run, his personal history, and how he has stuck to his guns on the Iraq issue when EVERYONE was jumping ship all impress me. I feel he is a straight talker, and while I disagree with some of the positions he has (like Iraq), I agree with others (like immigration, which he's also taken fire for and stuck to). I could definitely see myself voting for John McCain in a general election.
Things have solidified quite a bit since the start of the Primary hoopla. We've really narrowed it down to a few solid candidates ahead of Super Tuesday. Here are my picks for both major Parties:
John McCain, an Arizona Congressman from 1982-1986 and a Senator from 1986-present, is a former naval aviator and POW. He's been consistently for the war in Iraq, and staying there, and was one of the 12 Senators who staged a "revolt" over Bush's bill on detainees in 2006, because it did not provide protections against torture. Senate Page
Barack Obama, a 1st term Senator from Illinois who also spent 8 years as a state Senator. He's been a civil rights attorney and a community organizer. His time in the Senate hasn't been glorious, per se, but you do see his name around an awful lot of bipartisan efforts. I'd love to put more in here, but to be honest he hasn't been too much in the public eye until the primary race started up. Senate Page.
And why...
John McCain may be old. And he may be Republican. And he may have spent much of the last 8 years pandering to the far right wing. But on the whole, his efforts on campaign finance reform, the way his campaign in 2000 was run, his personal history, and how he has stuck to his guns on the Iraq issue when EVERYONE was jumping ship all impress me. I feel he is a straight talker, and while I disagree with some of the positions he has (like Iraq), I agree with others (like immigration, which he's also taken fire for and stuck to). I could definitely see myself voting for John McCain in a general election.
Barack Obama is young. He's fresh. He has a back ground in the grass roots and in civil rights. He's spent time in the state legislature, where the real business of the country happens. I don't get a vibe that it will be business as usual with Obama, and I like the way people react to him. The vibrancy around his campaign is something I haven't noticed in politics in my lifetime (short, granted, but I campaigned for Clinton in 1996 at school, fool. I've been watching these things). He also has a lot of the liberal ideas I like, without some of the dumber ones that Rush Limbagh likes to mock. I can see an Obama presidency being a good thing, and thus I can definitely see myself voting for him.
Let's see who survives Super Tuesday, hm?
...And Now for Some News...
No news today...I'm running late as it is.
Wednesday
Columbus Government
Since I've moved, it's time to get acquainted with a new set of government officials. Let's start with the Mayor of Columbus and the City Council.
The city's website is pretty simple: http://www.columbus.gov/. I love it when it's that simple. The main page here has all kinds of links that are just pretty spiffy. The central features have some interesting news bites...hrm. Have to look into that.
The Mayor's Page has a lot of the same information as the main city page, but also has contact info for the Mayor.
The City Council has a main page, that branches off into all sorts of information about the council and it's individual members.
City Attorney has his own page.
As does the City Auditor.
Clerk of Courts has her own webspace.
And a list of Judges.
I think that covers it all. Now to update my sidebar links...
...and Now for Some News....
McCain, Clinton Win in Florida, from NPR
Army Balks at VA Help for Soldiers, from NPR
Afghan MPs Back Death for Blasphemy, from BBC
EU Leaders Call for Transparency, from BBC
Organizations Worried Over State Budget Troubles, from WVXU
The city's website is pretty simple: http://www.columbus.gov/. I love it when it's that simple. The main page here has all kinds of links that are just pretty spiffy. The central features have some interesting news bites...hrm. Have to look into that.
The Mayor's Page has a lot of the same information as the main city page, but also has contact info for the Mayor.
The City Council has a main page, that branches off into all sorts of information about the council and it's individual members.
City Attorney has his own page.
As does the City Auditor.
Clerk of Courts has her own webspace.
And a list of Judges.
I think that covers it all. Now to update my sidebar links...
...and Now for Some News....
McCain, Clinton Win in Florida, from NPR
Army Balks at VA Help for Soldiers, from NPR
Afghan MPs Back Death for Blasphemy, from BBC
EU Leaders Call for Transparency, from BBC
Organizations Worried Over State Budget Troubles, from WVXU
Monday
Separation of Church and State
Mike Huckabee has some good points. The weight loss thing is impressive. I've heard his tax plan is actually on the level. Anyone who can be an executive of a state has to be a capable, functioning human being, and I respect that.
But.
This little blurb on his website says it all. "My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them."
Huckabee says a lot of things on that page that are hard to disagree with. He throws in a line about being a steward of the earth. He talks about how the 1st Amendment says religion shouldn't be preferred or prohibited. But the fact he talks about religion and politics mixing at all fills me with a dull dread.
I am not comfortable with a Christian President, just as I wouldn't be comfortable with an Islamic President. Nor would I be comfortable with an Atheist President. Historically speaking, heads of state who make state decisions based on the Bible have really made a mess of things. We are a secular nation of secular laws (mostly. Why can't I buy beer on Sunday morning?). I don't want anyone's faith being allowed to change that.
Jimmy Carter is an incredibly religious Southern Baptist. I didn't know that for years. I admired him as a President and for his work post-Presidency without ever having religion enter into it. Did his faith factor into decisions made as President? Of course! Did he take instructions from the Bible and other Christian teachings? I don't think so.
The fact Huckabee is so popular among heavily Christian voters is a mark against him in my book. Those were the same people who voted Bush into office. The fact he is running on a platform that implies faith-based governance offends me.
Separation of Church and State. It's the concept that makes us not Iran.
...And Now For Some News...
Bush's Final State of the Union Address Tonight, from NPR.
Mormon Leader Dies at Age 97, from NPR.
New Unrest in western Kenya, from BBC.
Egypt Tries New Tactics to Seal Gaza Border, from BBC.
AC Units Not Safe From Scrap Thieves, from WCBE.
Busy Week for Ohio Legislaters, from WVXU.
But.
This little blurb on his website says it all. "My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them."
Huckabee says a lot of things on that page that are hard to disagree with. He throws in a line about being a steward of the earth. He talks about how the 1st Amendment says religion shouldn't be preferred or prohibited. But the fact he talks about religion and politics mixing at all fills me with a dull dread.
I am not comfortable with a Christian President, just as I wouldn't be comfortable with an Islamic President. Nor would I be comfortable with an Atheist President. Historically speaking, heads of state who make state decisions based on the Bible have really made a mess of things. We are a secular nation of secular laws (mostly. Why can't I buy beer on Sunday morning?). I don't want anyone's faith being allowed to change that.
Jimmy Carter is an incredibly religious Southern Baptist. I didn't know that for years. I admired him as a President and for his work post-Presidency without ever having religion enter into it. Did his faith factor into decisions made as President? Of course! Did he take instructions from the Bible and other Christian teachings? I don't think so.
The fact Huckabee is so popular among heavily Christian voters is a mark against him in my book. Those were the same people who voted Bush into office. The fact he is running on a platform that implies faith-based governance offends me.
Separation of Church and State. It's the concept that makes us not Iran.
...And Now For Some News...
Bush's Final State of the Union Address Tonight, from NPR.
Mormon Leader Dies at Age 97, from NPR.
New Unrest in western Kenya, from BBC.
Egypt Tries New Tactics to Seal Gaza Border, from BBC.
AC Units Not Safe From Scrap Thieves, from WCBE.
Busy Week for Ohio Legislaters, from WVXU.
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